The problem of motivation of educational activity is one of the basic problems in psychology of training. Motives — an obligatory component of any activity. The educational motivation is defined as a private type of the motivation included into activity of studying, educational activity. The educational motivation is defined by a number of factors: educational system, educational institution where educational activity is carried out; organization of educational process; trainee’s subject features (age, sex, intellectual development, abilities, level of claims, a self-assessment) and etc. Qualitative features of development of the motivational sphere of the identity of the student depend on identification of an image I, an image of the world, an image of future professional activity, a self-assessment and a reflection. The deep knowledge and understanding of the motivational sphere can provide success, send activity of the identity of the student to the necessary course of his development.
The modern system of the higher education functions and develops in the new political, social and economic conditions, which define not only ways and the directions of its development, but also the problems related to it. Improvement of student training in the modern education is caused by many factors among which motivating students in education institutions to educational activity is very important.
The problem of motivation of educational activity is one of the basic problems in psychology of training. It has such high status of importance because, on the one hand, motivation is the main psychological characteristic of any activity including training. On the other hand, management of motivation to train allows to control the educational process, which is the very important achievement of the process.
The followings are the main problems with which the psychologists studying motivation, particularly motivation of educational activity deals: development of the conceptual framework related to motives and motivation, definition of structural components of motivation (E.P. Ilyin, A.N. Leontyev, V.N. Myasishchev,
S.L. Rubenstein, D.N. Uznadze and etc.), studying of psychological mechanisms of motivation (V.K. Vilyunas, I.R. Altunina), research in motivation of behavior and form of the motivational sphere of the personality (L.I. Bozhovich, P.M. Jacobson), formation and development of motivation to different types of activity (E.P. Ilyin, A.K. Markova, T.A. Mathis). Works of many psychologists and teachers are devoted to research of a problem of motivation to educational activity: Е.Yu. Patyaeva, A.A. Rean, P.M. Jacobson,
V.A. Yakunina and others. E.P. Ilyin considered motivation as dynamic process that forms the motive, and motive as the difficult integral (systematic) of psychological education, which bases (justifies) and pursues to a conscious activity and acts.
For the first time the term «motivation» was used by A. Schopenhauer in the article «Four Principles of the Sufficient Reason» (1900–1910). Then this term was included strongly in psychological use for an explanation of the reasons of behavior of people and animals.
The great thinkers of the past such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Heraclitus, Democritus and Lucretius laid the foundation of scientific studying of reasoning the activities of people and animals, and their determinations. Nowadays, there are tens of motivation theories.
The word «motive» (from latin motif — to move) can be treated differently. Firstly, the motive is understood as motivation of the person to activity. On the other hand, the motive is the conscious requirement which is a source of human activity, therefore, motive expresses the direction of its activity. Motives are related goals of a person [1].
The motive is defined as the wish to activity, related to satisfaction of subject’s needs. Set of such wishes causing activity of the subject is motivation. Motives — an obligatory component of any activity. A typical sign of motive — a set of actions around one subject. The motive can be satisfied with a set of different actions. On the other hand, action can be induced by different motives. Requirements, interests, feelings, knowledge, etc. can act as motives. Motives are not always realized, therefore there are two big classes of motives – realized and extramental.
There are many theories of motivation, let us briefly consider some of them. Behavioral approaches in behavioral learning theory posits a primary factor in motivation. Classical conditioning states that biological responses to associated stimuli energize and direct behavior. Operant learning states the primary factor is consequences: the application of reinforcers provides incentives to increase behavior; the application of punishers provides disincentives that result in a decrease in behavior [1; 102].
Approach in attribution theory of Haider assumes that every individual tries to explain success or failure of self and others by offering certain «attributions». These attributions are either internal or external and are either under control or not under control [1; 105].
The psychoanalytic theories of motivation proposed a variety of fundamental influences. Z. Freud suggested that all action or behavior was a result of internal, biological instincts that are classified into two categories: life (sexual) and death (aggression). Many of Freud's students broke with him over this concept. For example, E. Erikson and G. Sullivan (1968) proposed that interpersonal and social relationships are fundamental, A. Adler (1989) proposed power, while Yu. Jung (1953, 1997) proposed temperament and search for soul or personal meaningfulness [1; 78].
One of the most influential writers in the area of motivation is Abraham Maslow (1954), who attempted to synthesize a large body of research related to human motivation. Prior to Maslow, researchers generally focused separately on such factors as biology, achievement, or power to explain what energizes, directs, and sustains human behavior. Maslow posited a hierarchy of human needs based on two groupings: deficiency needs and growth needs. Within the deficiency needs, each lower need must be met before moving to the next higher level. Once each of these needs has been satisfied, if at some future time a deficiency is detected, the individual will act to remove the deficiency. The first four levels are:
- Physiological: hunger, thirst, bodily comforts, ;
- Safety/security: out of danger;
- Belongingness and Love: affiliate with others, be accepted;
- Esteem: to achieve, be competent, gain approval and
According to Maslow, an individual is ready to act upon the growth needs if and only if the deficiency needs are met. Maslow's initial conceptualization included only one growth need-self-actualization. Maslow later differentiated the growth need of self-actualization, specifically naming two lower-level growth needs prior to general level of self-actualization and one beyond that level. The growth needs in this revised formulation are:
- Cognitive: to know, to understand, and explore;
- Aesthetic: symmetry, order, and beauty;
- Self-actualization: to find self-fulfillment and realize one's potential; and
- Self-transcendence: to connect to something beyond the ego or to help others find self-fulfillment and realize their
Maslow's basic position is that the highest levels of self-actualization are transcendent in nature is especially important as it comes from someone who spent most of his professional life investigating the topic [1; 89].
If we talk about the motivation of learning we can say that this is one of the important problems in learning, motivation is a factor in improving education. The fact is that human beings in general and students in particular are complex creatures with complex needs and desires. With regard to students, very little or no learning can occur unless students are motivated on a consistent basis.
There are many researches on studying of motivation of training results of which are described in works of B.G. Ananyeva, V.G. Aseev, L.I. Bozhovich, P.Ya. Galperina, V.V. Davydova, A.N. Leontyeva,
D.A. Leontyeva, A.K. Markova, N.A. Menchinska, E.Yu. Patyaeva, D.B. Elkonin, V.A. Yakunin and others [1; 132].
In our country such scientists as G.B. Kodekova Akizhanova of M.M. Kenzhekhanov As.T. Ernazarova,
G.P. Absatarova, S.Kh. Madaliyeva were engaged in studying of motivation of students [2].
The educational motivation is defined as a private type of the motivation included into activity of studying, educational activity [3]. Being the first component of the structure of educational activity (let us recall motivation as the first obligatory stage of stage-by-stage formation of intellectual actions of P.Ya. Galperin), the motivation is the essential characteristic of the subject of activity.
The educational motivation is defined by a number of factors: educational system, educational institution where educational activity is carried out; organization of educational process; trainee’s subject features (age, intellectual development, abilities, level of claims, a self-assessment, its interaction with other students etc.); the teacher’s subject features and, most importantly, his attitudes towards the student, to his job; features of studying subject.
The educational motivation is systematic and it is characterized by an orientation, stability and dynamism [3; 237].
E.Y. Patyaeva divides types of educational motivation on the basis of various types of training situations [4].
The educational motivation is based on actions which students are ordered to do. The ordered studying is for «performers» who are not able to independently define the general direction of the actions, to reflex the bases of the actions and actions of the others, to carry out productive interaction with others.
The educational motivation is based on the actions of the student who is willing to learn relying on his natural inquisitiveness. According to E.Y. Patyaeva, such type of the studying can be unstable and unsystematic as it does not teach to set definite goals and to reach them, to overcome difficulties on the way to achieve them.
The educational motive is understood as an orientation of student activity to some parties of educational activity. There are few classifications of training motives. According to L.I. Bozhovich, motives of training are subdivided on external (not related to educational process) and internal (derivative of various characteristics of training) [1; 49]. A.N. Leontyev highlights «motives incentives» and «sense making» motives. «Some motives, inducing activity, give it personal sense; we will call them sense making motives. Others, coexisting with them, carrying out a role of incentive factors (positive or negative) — sometimes sharply emotional, affective, deprived of sense making function; let us call such motives — incentives» (A.N. Leontyev) [5]. Motives of the training are subdivided by Leontyev on «knowing» («understood») and «really operating».
The fullest classification of motives of the doctrine is offered A.K. Markova. It highlights two groups of motives of training: informative motives and social motives [6].
Informative motives are directed on knowledge process, increase of efficiency of its results — knowledge, abilities, skills, and also on ways of knowing and acquisition of knowledge, receptions of study and study methods, on increase of efficiency of these ways and methods knowledge gaining. Their levels: broad informative motives orientated on knowledge; the educational and informative orientated on ways of getting of knowledge; motives of self-education orientated on ways of independent replenishment of knowledge.
Social motives characterize activity of the student in relation to some types of interactions with other person during the training, to results of joint activity and ways of these interactions, to increase of efficiency of results and ways of these interactions. Their levels: broad social motives — a debt, responsibility; narrow social or position motives — aspiration to approval of people around; motives of social cooperation — aspiration to seize ways of interaction with surrounding people [6; 96].
Some of researchers (L.I. Bozovic, P.M. Jacobson) postulate need of presence of both components (informative and social motives) for efficiency of educational activity.
The general tendencies in development of ideas of motivation of training in domestic psychology are in gradual transition from not dismembered to the differentiated understanding of motivation of training; from idea of motive as an «engine», which start activity, to its definition as the important, internal psychological characteristic of the activity. The differentiated approach assumes highlighting of substantial and dynamic characteristics which possesses studied psychological motivation.
A.K. Markova allocates substantial and dynamic characteristics of motive of the doctrine [6; 116]:
- substantial characteristics: effectiveness; domination in structure of the motivational sphere; independence of emergence; sensibleness; generality;
- dynamic characteristics: stability; expressiveness and force; emotional coloring;
Other tendency in studying of motivation of the doctrine is represented by the forming approach assuming definition of conditions, influencing formation of motive of the doctrine in total its substantial and dynamic characteristics.
In motivation of educational activity of students actually educational and professional components are constantly combined. In this regard in structure of the doctrine it is possible to allocate actually motives of the doctrine and professional motives as «the internal motives defining an orientation of activity of the person in professional behavior as a whole and orientation of the person on the different parties of the most professional activity» [6; 64]. Professional motives also define as «the motives moving the subject to improvement of the activity — its ways, means, forms, methods, etc.», «the motives of growth realizing in activity an orientation on production, instead of on consumption» [7].
Within D.B. Elkonin and V.V. Davydov's activity approach by basic activity of students is educational and professional. Her motivation, according to T.I. Lyakh, includes two groups of motives: educational and professional and social. Each of these groups passes three levels in the formation. Levels of formation of educational and professional motives (from the lowest to the highest): the wide educational and professional; the educational and professional; motive of professional self-education. Levels of formation of social motives of educational professional activity in higher education institution (from the lowest to the highest): broad social motive; narrow social, position motive; motives of professional cooperation. By the training end in pedagogical higher education institution undergraduates under the influence of system of teaching and educational work of higher education institution have to have of group of educational and professional motives motives of professional self-education, and of group of social motives motives of professional cooperation [3; 42].
The researches conducted by A.N. Pechnikov, G.A. Mukhina showed that the leading educational motives at students are «professional» and «personal prestige», are less significant «pragmatical» (to gain the diploma about the higher education) and «informative». However, on different courses the role of the dominating motives changes. At the first year the leading motive — «professional», on the second — «personal prestige», on the third and fourth courses — both of these motives, on the fourth — also «pragmatical». Success of training was influenced more by «professional» and «informative» motives. «Pragmatical» motives were generally characteristic for the poor students [6; 76].
On the basis of the general motivation of educational activity (professional, informative, pragmatical, social and public and personal and prestigious) students have a certain relation to different subjects. It is caused: importance of a subject for vocational training; interest to a certain branch of knowledge and to this subject as its parts; quality of teaching (satisfaction with classes in this subject); measure of difficulty of mastering this subject proceeding from own abilities; relationship with the teacher of this subject. All these motivators can be in the interaction or competition relations and to have various influence on study therefore the complete idea of motives of educational activity can be received, only having revealed the importance for each pupil of all these components of difficult motivational structure. It will allow to establish and motivational intensity at this subject, i.e. sum of components of motive of educational activity: the more components causes this activity, the more it has motivational tension.
In recent years the understanding researchers of a role of positive motivation to the doctrine in ensuring successful mastering with knowledge and abilities amplified. It is thus revealed that the high positive motivation can play a role of a compensating factor in case of not enough high abilities; however in the opposite direction this factor doesn't work — no high level of abilities can compensate absence of educational motive or its low expressiveness, can't lead to considerable progress in study [8].
Awareness of the high importance of motive of the doctrine for successful study led to formation of the principle of motivational ensuring educational process. Importance of this principle follows from that fact that in the course of training in higher education institution power of motive of the doctrine and development of the chosen specialty decreases. According to A.M. Vasilkov and S. S. Ivanov, received at polls of cadets of army medical college, are the reasons of it: unsatisfactory prospects of work, service, shortcomings of the organization of educational process, life and leisure, shortcomings of educational work. By them it is shown that the students, differing independence and tendency to authoritativeness and rigidity, find more essential decrease in a professional orientation [1; 146].
A.I. Gebos are allocated the factors promoting formation at students of positive motive to the doctrine [1; 198]: understanding of the next and ultimate goals of training; awareness of the theoretical and practical importance of the acquired knowledge; emotional form of a statement of a training material; display of «perspective lines» in development of scientific concepts; professional orientation of educational activity; a choice of the tasks creating problem situations in structure of educational activity; existence of inquisitiveness and «informative psychological climate» in educational group.
Kaylene C. Williams identifies five key ingredients for improving student motivation. The five key ingredients impacting student motivation are: student, teacher, content, method/process, and environment. For example, the student must have access, ability, interest, and value education. The teacher must be well trained, must focus and monitor the educational process, be dedicated and responsive to his or her students, and be inspirational. The content must be accurate, timely, stimulating, and pertinent to the student’s current and future needs. The method or process must be inventive, encouraging, interesting, beneficial, and provide tools that can be applied to the student’s real life. The environment needs to be accessible, safe, positive, personalized as much as possible, and empowering.
Motivation is optimized when students are exposed to a large number of these motivating experiences and variables on a regular basis [8].
What is the best way to motivate students? The short answer is that all of these strategies can be used, as often as possible. maybe the best way to gain some new understandings about motivation is to hold all of these theories simultaneously in mind, much like a giant puzzle, and see where there is good understanding and where there are gaps. These new ideas then could be translated into the classroom, using those specific items that are effective and useful in each instructor’s unique classroom situation. At the very least, it seems that motivation in the classroom is a function of five components: student, teacher, content, method/process, and environment. Aspects of any of these five components could contribute to and/or hinder motivation. Maybe educators could start just by choosing and trying three new possibilities for enriching student motivation. Or, more importantly, educators could watch themselves and their own behavior to become selfaware of new understandings about motivation [8; 18].
The analysis of literature showed that in understanding of essence of motivation, its role in regulation of behavior, in understanding of ratios between motivation and motive there is no unanimity of views. Ilyin understands motivation as dynamic process of formation of motive, and motive as the difficult integrated (system) psychological education inducing to a conscious activity and acts and forming for them the basis (justification). Many researchers understand a private type of the motivation included in activity of the doctrine, educational activity as educational motivation, and the motive of the doctrine is understood as an orientation of activity (activity) studying as these or those parties of educational
The level of development of the motivational sphere of the student depends on ways, conditions and means of high school training, understanding of own sense of the doctrine, the subject and reflexive relation to training, subject activity and the subject relation. Qualitative features of development of the motivational sphere of the identity of the student depend on identification of an image I, an image of the world, an image of future professional activity, a self-assessment and a reflection. The motivational sphere of the personality is defined by activity. In order that activity became a development and self-development component, important not deeply to understand character of its contents, but also constantly to improve the motivational party of the personality. The deep knowledge and understanding of the motivational sphere can provide success, send activity of the identity of the student to the necessary course of his development.
References
- Ilyin P. Motivation and motives, Saint Petersburg: Peter, 2006, 502 p.
- Ernazarova S.T., Absattarovа G.P., Madaliyevа S.H. Theoretical bases of educational motivation of students, http.kaznmu.kz/press/2014/09/25/студенттердің-оқу-мотивациясы-ерекш/ (date of address is 02.2016).
- Lakh T.I. Experience of experimental formation of personally significant motive of education, Tula: publishing house Toole. the state. ped. un-that of L.N. Tolstoy, 2004, 133
- Bugrimenko A.G. Psychology in higher education institution, 2006, 3, p. 51–60.
- Leontyev N. Activity. Consciousness. Personality, Moscow: Smysl, 2005, 352 p.
- Markova K. Formation of motivation of the education, Moscow: Prosveshchenie, 1990, 191 p.
- Verbitsky A.A. Development of motivation of students in contextual training, Moscow: Research Center of training quality problems, 2000, 200
- Williams K.C. Five key ingredients for improving student motivation. Research in Higher Educational Journal, [ER]. Access mode: http://www.aabri.com/manuscripts/11834.pdf (date of address is 02.2016).